A special salute to Stu Briese

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Published on Thursday, January 19, 2017

Premier Brian Pallister and Stu Briese share a laugh during a get-together at the Neepawa Legion on Monday, Jan. 16.  (photo by Eoin Devereux)

By Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

Political contemporaries and long-time friends gathered in Neepawa on Monday, Jan. 16 to offer a special sendoff to former Agassiz MLA Stu Briese. In 2014, Briese announced he would not seek re-election for the position he had filled for nearly a decade. That position would ultimately be filled by Eileen Clarke, who won the riding in the 2016 provincial election

On Monday afternoon at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall, Clarke along with Premier Brian Pallister, MP Robert Sopuck, several MLAs, as well as many other well wishers saluted Briese. During the gathering, Briese said he was surprised by the number of people who took the time to come out and wish him well.  He added that he was very proud of being allowed to serve the constituency.

“I never forgot that I worked for my constituents. It was their faith in me that put me in that position and I was going to do what I could to serve them and to put their best interests forward above all else,” noted Briese “If you called my office with a concern or a question, I’d make it a point to call them back myself and speak with them. Either to answer their question or listen to what they had to say. That’s what the job should always be about. Looking out for the people who put you there.”

Premier Brian Pallister saluted Briese for dedicating himself for so long to service of the region.

“Stu Briese has always been a salt of the earth person. Sincere, honest, dedicated. A hard working human being. He’s a community guy, everyone already knows that [within the Agassiz riding], but it’s important to recognize it,” said Pallister. “We’ve seen Stu give of himself through his community work, his municipal and provincial service over many, many years. That’s something we should never take for granted. But, even more than that, he went out and did a lot of outreach. On conservation issues, infrastructure issues, health care. He was doing work in his riding, but was not isolated in his thinking. He understood that we are all in this together.”

Pallister also noted that Briese served as a mentor to many candidates and new MLAs over the years, providing valuable knowledge.

“Certainly he was a mentor in helping to guide and lead our candidates in other ridings. That was a very big boost to people such as [MLA] Brad Michaleski in Dauphin and Derek Johnson in the Interlake. Rick Wowchuk in Swan River, [Briese] was instrumental in helping them. I know that they appreciated that support deeply and they told him exactly that [during the salute].

With Pallister’s remarks still imprinted on the assembled well-wishers’ minds, Briese joked that he was not as much of a public speaker, preferring to be more of a ‘behind the scenes guy’. Instead he chooses to shine the spotlight upon all those others who worked with him behind the scenes over the years to make Agassiz and Manitoba a better place. A very fitting tribute for a man who cared little about securing his own legacy, yet still left with a lasting one upon the region and the province.

Premier Brian Pallister shakes hands with Stu Briese after commending him for many years of support for both the riding and the province. Pallister was one of many in attendance at the Neepawa Legion Branch on Monday, Jan. 16 for the special send-off for the former Agassiz MLA. (photo by Eoin Devereux)